AN executive with the dairy products manufacturer Mengniu said late yesterday that they would support and cooperate with police investigation over a slander case involving a Mengniu manager. Hu Sudong, vice president of Mengniu, told a press conference that An Yong, one of the suspects arrested by police, was a project manager of Mengniu. But He noted An should personally be liable for the situation. An, a manager of Mengniu's liquid milk department, had been arrested together with several public relations consultants hired by the Hohhot-based dairy company over fabricating accusations against a rival dairy company and posted the slaner online. Mengniu admitted that An was arrested and denied the company was behind the defaming plot. It also added An is responsible himself for what he did. Mengniu's rival Yili Group issued a statement on Wednesday that the online posts released on Sina.com in July were aimed at defaming its new baby formula products. But the accusations that the baby formula was causing premature puberty in infants missed the intended target and instead affected the formula producer Synutra International. Reports by Hong Kong based Phoenix Television alleged that some Chinese infants had started to grow breasts after they were fed with Synutra milk and one girl had the estrogen levels of a grown woman. Though the Ministry of Health issued an official report in August confirming Synutr International's innocence and despite a public apology from Phoenix TV, the NASDAQ-listed Chinese company still suffered huge losses and lost the confidence of many parents. Synutra on Thursday issued a statement that it was shocked by the latest progress over the incident and ensure customers all of its products safe.It also petitioned impartial and calm report by mass media. Mengniu itself initially issued a statement Wednesday afternoon denying that any of its executives had been arrested and said the company had nothing to do with the libel that damaged Synutra.